The Palaszczuk Government is helping Queenslanders get hands on with coding and robotics activities thanks to a state-wide library grant.

Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch today announced funding of $200,000 to public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres to support coding and robotics demonstrations and education sessions.

“Our world is changing more rapidly than at any other time in history.” Ms. Enoch said.

“The influence of technology is spreading to every aspect of our lives and the jobs that we know today will be very different in the future.”

“Helping people, especially our children, learn skills in coding and robotics is crucial to Queensland’s future prosperity and this is a key platform of the Advancing Education plan and curriculum in our schools.”

“Learning to code and applying it to real world issues will help our children become critical thinkers and problem solvers, creating innovators and entrepreneurs who can address any challenge.” Ms. Enoch said.

“This funding will enable libraries to provide informal and fun ways for Queenslanders to develop coding and robotics skills needed for the digital creators and innovators of tomorrow.”

Acting State Librarian Sonia Cooper said public libraries were constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of the diverse communities and visitors they serve, and the introduction of coding and robotics activities would help bring digital literacy, and inclusion, to more Queenslanders.

“Coding and robotics activities held by SLQ over the school holidays in 2015 were very popular, with many sessions sold out.” Mrs. Cooper said.

Ms. Enoch said coding and robotics activities in libraries would support initiatives by Queensland schools to develop greater digital literacy, helping prepare our children for the knowledge economy of the future.